Inside the palace, Princess Luna peered out the window through a gap in the closed curtains.
“Hmm...”
Princess Celestia, (who sat at her desk in the same room) didn’t look up from her paperwork. “What was that, Lulu?”
“Does today seem ominous to you, sister?” The younger princess asked. “It feels like a day on which bad things happen.”
Celestia paused. Wordlessly, she lit up her horn, and drew the velvet curtains back, exposing the view of the gorgeous valley below them. Luna hissed, shielding her eyes, and retreated to a shadow by the bookshelf.
“Luna, it’s gorgeous outside. The weather is cool, there’s a breeze, and I saw no fewer than six little foals flying kites.” Celestia raised an eyebrow at her sister. “What, pray tell, makes this day seem ominous?”
Luna frowned. “Not the weather, sister! ...though the weather is a mite too cheery to be realistic... I mean the feeling it gives!”
She dove to the desk, peering up from behind it at Celestia. “Can’t you feel, deep inside your gut, the ominous displeasure of foreboding?!”
Celestia looked at her sister.
Luna looked back.
The elder sighed. “Luna, if this is about the agricultural census, it’s not that bad, we just-“
“THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE CENSUS!” Luna bellowed. “SUCH A MEANINGLESS TASK CONCERNS US NOT! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE WELLBEING OF THE NATION, NEIGH, THE ENTIRE WORLD!”
Celestia sighed. “Luna, you still have to help on the census.”
Luna was crestfallen. “But-but-but,” she sputtered. “What type of census happens every year?!”
Celestia rose to her hooves, and gave a royal tsk. “One involving agriculture. Now, come along, Twilight Sparkle will be delivering the Ponyville data momentarily.”
Luna groaned, but rose to her hooves as well. “Already having her doing royal chores? The wings won’t be a long jump.”
“Now now, that’s a surprise. She’s supposed to figure that out all on her own.”
“Tia, do you know what that will do to the racial dynamic of her small group of friends?” Luna asked. “It will set off the balance! Social activists will cry bloody murder!”
Tia laughed. “No no, dear sister, they will be losing a unicorn, and since the unicorns are a bunch of racists, no one will care!”
Luna blinked. “Wait, but isn’t that-“
“Come along now, Lulu, they’ll be here any second.” Celestia waltzed out the door and down the palace corridors.
Luna groaned, then sullenly followed.
“Thanks for coming with me for this census, girls!” Twilight exclaimed. “I never knew agriculture was such a paperwork-heavy industry!”
Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie stood at the Canterlot train station, amidst a crowd of departing ponies. It was a clear blue day, and the sun was shining brightly. Twilight held two large suitcases in her magical grip.
Applejack waved a hoof. “Don’t mention it, sugarcube. We always hafta file with Canterlot anyhow, an Ah’m happy t’come along with you an talk to the Princesses about it.”
“Me too!” Exclaimed Pinkie Pie. “I always liked filing my family’s petriculture records! And I’m more than happy to help.”
Twilight giggled. “Well, thanks anyway. Come on, we need to be at the palace in ten minutes.”
The trio began to walk up the cobbled streets of Canterlot. “So, Twilight,” Applejack asked, “why does the Princess want you supervisin this years’ crop survey?”
Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know, AJ. I guess Princess Celestia thinks I should take an interest in the inner workings of Equestrian government-“
In the palace, Princess Celestia sneezed.
“-which she says is good for my learning development.” She smiled. “And, this year, Equestria is integrating the Gryphon Republic’s crop surveys, too, to better comprehend meteorological and geographical data!” Twilight practically beamed.
“But aren’t gryphons big meanies?” Pinkie asked.
“Well, no, actually Pinkie. They recently overthrew their king, who had, in the past decade, lead several military attacks on Equestria and its protectorates. But the new government, the Republic, is extremely cooperative!” Twilight smiled. “They have voting and tourism and free speech and everything!”
The three ponies arrived at the doors of Canterlot Palace. “Oh, well, that’s nice, I guess. Though I always wondered how those gryphons grew anthin’ up in those mountains.”
Princess Luna opened the doors to the palace. “The answer, dear subject, is that they grow and produce a number of rarer and expensive crops and products, with which they then trade to us for everything else.” She spoke commandingly.
“Princess Luna!” The three ponies bowed.
“Now, now, no need for such frivolities, my friends.” The ponies rose to their hooves. “Come. My sister awaits us within the throne room.”
The four ponies then walked down the halls of the palace, ready and eager to participate in the annual agricultural survey of Equestria.
“Argh! I hate participating in the annual agricultural survey of Equestria!” Luna bellowed.
She and Princess Celestia sat on the floor in the throne room, along with Twilight, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. Massive stacks of papers were piled onto the marble floor, and the five ponies were examining them closely.
Celestia tsked. “Now now, Lulu, most of the work is already done for us! We just have to review and approve the numbers, then make a total estimate of the year’s growth. Then we can swap information with the Gryphon Republic, and we’re done!” She smiled at the three ponies. “And look! When young Applejack finishes her last paper, I believe that is it.”
Luna slumped onto the ground, grumbling.
Applejack spared a glance to the sullen princess, before responding. “Err... Yes, yer highness! The last report is from the Appleloosan fields, reportin two thousand barrels of apples, with a produce score of fruit-3.”
Twilight nodded, scribbling onto the paper in front of her. “Appleloosa, Apples, Fruit-3. Which brings the total score of Equestria this year to...” she scribbled on the paper a moment, adding the numbers up. “Fruit-608, Grain-994, Vegetable-577, Other-645, and Anomalous-8.”
“Anomalous?” Princess Luna’s ears perked up. “What does this imply?”
Twilight let out a small sigh. “Two rock farms, and a furniture orchard.”
Luna was silent for a moment, bewildered. “...Furniture? But-“
“No buts.”
“But-“
“No!” Twilight snapped. “Your highness really it’s best if we just don’t question it.”
Luna harrumphed, crossing her arms. “Fine.”
Celestia smiled. “Well then! We just need to send this to the Gryphon Republic, and we’ll be done! Let me just incinerate these.” The princess’s horn shimmered for a moment, and the piles of documents strewn about the floor vanished. “Twilight, a copy of the data, if you please.”
Twilight nodded, and transferred the numbers to a neat scroll. She then rolled it into a tube, sealed it, and transferred it to Princess Celestia.
The princess gratefully took it, and with a small surge of light, the scroll evaporated in a golden flame. The smoke twirled in the air, before flying gracefully out the window.
Luna smiled. “There! Now that that is over, perhaps we should-“
“No no, Luna,” Celestia chided. “We still have to wait for the gryphons’ response.”
Luna frowned. “And how long would that take?”
Twilight raised a hoof. “Well Princess, given the speed of the smoke’s travel before reconstitution, and the distance from here to the Republic, about forty-five minutes.”
“Oh, well, that’s not that long.”
“Then they have to formulate their reply, and send it back, so altogether, an hour and a half? Maybe more?” Twilight grinned sheepishly.
Luna facehooved.
“Neigh, Twilight Sparkle, thou owes me four hundred bits.”
“What?!” Twilight sputtered. “No way! You can’t just add hotels wherever you want, Princess!”
Luna scoffed, holding out her tiny plastic hotel. “I did not just add it, I purchased the hotel for this property three turns ago. I merely neglected to place it upon the board!”
It was two hours after they had sent the scroll. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Ugh, Princess Celestia, Luna’s cheating!”
“Am not!”
Celestia payed little attention, however, rubbing her two single-bit notes between her hooves, along with her sole owned property. Why am I so awful at this game? She thought. It’s basically a miniaturized version of my job.
Pinkie Pie watched gleefully, rolling about with most of the property cards and a small fortune in paper currency. “Heeheeheeheee!”
Applejack was sprawled by the foot of the throne, taking a nap.
The two guards by the door were making bets on the Monopoly game.
Suddenly, Celestia’s ears perked up. “Oh! Everypony, the scroll is about to arrive.” She surreptitiously swept the board game away, rising to her hooves.
Twilight prodded Applejack. “AJ! Wake up! The reponse from the gryphons is coming!”
“Huh? Whozzat?” Applejack lifted her head up, her stetson still covering her eyes. “Doc? There’s a moon tree in mah orchard...” her head began to droop.
Groaning, Twilight picked up Applejack magically, dragging the sleepy cowpony over to the small circle of princesses and agricultural enthusiasts. Applejack rose to her hooves, pulling back her hat and squinting. “Ah’m up, Ah’m up.”
“And here it is!” Celestia declared. As she spoke, a wisp of smoke trailed in through the window, spinning in front of the elder sister.
The smoke, however, did not immediately reform into a scroll. It spun around and around, the circle of smoke growing tighter and tighter until it resembled a small, tightly-packed ball.
“Umm... Princess?” Pinkie asked. “Is it supposed to do that?”
“No,” both princesses chorused. Celestia quickly threw a golden force field around the ball of smoke.
Luna pressed a hoof to her face. “It’s going to be a long week, I can tell.”
Then, the smoke exploded.
A brilliant flash of light filled the room, illuminating every crevasse and shadow with a white shine. Overpowering Celestia’s shield, the light encompassed two princesses, three Elements of Harmony, and two guards, standing by the door.
As quickly as it came, the light vanished, leaving the room seemingly darker than before. Seven figures were slumped onto the marble floor of the otherwise empty throne room.
Seven feathery, leoavian figures.
Twilight Sparkle slowly began to regain consciousness. “Ugh... what was that...”
She lifted her head, gazing blearily around the room. She saw several ponies slumped onto the floor, but couldn’t make out much more. She blinked repeatedly. “Ugh. My head feels funny. I feel funny.”
It was then that Twilight noticed something yellow, peeking up from the bottom of her peripheral vision. She tried to focus on it, but found it too close to her face. Huh.
She reached up a hoof to touch it, but stopped. In place of a lavender hoof was a yellow hand, skinny and covered in yellow scaley skin. Sharp talons curved outwards from each digit.
Twilight blinked. She quickly turned her head to look at the rest of her.
She saw the body of a lion, a deep purple, laying on the marble, with a long, tufted tail coiling from its rear end. Twilight followed the length of the body up, to a point where it turned to lavender-colored feathers, and a pair of large wings, all connected right to her at the neck and-
“...ohmygOD!” Twilight jumped into the air, freaking out. All of her limbs, even the new ones, flailed through the air, as the former unicorn rose and quickly fell hardly back onto the ground.”
“Aah aah aah okay Twilight don’t panic I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical and sensible reason for this for why you’re a GRYPHON and you shouldn’t panic and-“ Twilight began to hyperventilate, her new beak opened wide. She pressed a hand to her feathery chest, only to flinch it away. “Ow! What- oh, right, teehee, I have talons now, TALONS, okay okay okay...”
Twilight tried to bite her lip and failed. Utterly devastated, she collapsed back onto the marble, wailing.
Pinkie Pie, also a gryphon, fluttered over to her panicking friend. “Twilight? Are you alright?”
Twilight looked up, and her eyes widened.
Pinkie Pie was a gryphon. Light-pink feathers along her crest, the same color as her old coat, turned into a darker pink lion’s body, the same color as her old mane. Bright blue eyes stared down at Twilight with concern, capped with a small collection of curly hair-feathers, and a bright-yellow beak, curved into a smile.
“You’re-you’re-you’re-you’re-“ Twilight stammered.
“Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie exclaimed. She leapt into the air, wings stretched, and shakily glided about the throne room. “Tee hee! Wings are harder than I thought!”
“PINKIE!” Twilight bellowed. “You know what I mean! What... Why-“ Twilight glanced at the figures, slumped on the ground. “Oh, Celestia, Applejacks’a a gryphon too, and- OH! Celestia!” Twilight began to panic again.
There, lying next to each other on the ground, were the two unconscious forms of the Princesses of Equestria. Both of whom, of course, were now gryphons.
“Celestia’s a gryphon! The princesses are gryphons!” Twilight exclaimed, her ears drooped meekly downwards†. “What?! Why, I don’t-“
“Ugh...” Applejack began to groan. The orange gryphon rolled over, stretching her arms. “Tarnation, what was-ow!” She startled awake, cringing at the pressure as she lay down on her new wings. “What the hay! Why do... what the...”
The farmgryphon did a double-take, before looking up and down her new body rapidly. Her face assumed a similar expression to that of Twilight’s. “What the hay?!” She held a clawed hand to her face. “What the hay?!” A tufted tail wafted in front of her face.
“...WHAT THE FUCK?!”
“Language!” Pinkie scolded.
“Twalaaaaght!” Applejack moaned, her face in her... claws. “Twilight why in all the high hordes ah’ hell are we gryphons?” Her wings unconsciously flared in agitation. “Fix it!”
“I don’t know Applejack!” Twilight replied. “We were getting the scroll from the Republic and then it exploded into light and now we’re all gryphons!”
Applejack paled. “What about the princesse-“ her eyes glanced over to the diarchs of equestria, slumped on the floor. “-es ohsweetcelestia they got ‘em too!”
“SILENCE!” The blue gryphon rolled over, holding her eyes closed. “We are trying to sleep, dear subjects!”
The three Elements of Harmony gave Luna curious looks. “Um...” Twilight ventured, “Princess Luna?”
Luna raised her head. “What-“ upon seeing the three gryphons, she stopped, freezing in place. “Twilight Sparkle, thou art a gryphon.”
Applejack snorted. “Pot callin th’kettle black.”
Luna squinted. “I do not see how such a phrase applies in this situation, dear subject.” She raised a claw to emphasize her point. “Thine expression is used when one subject accuses the other for a trait they both shaaaaaaa...” The night princess caught sight of her new appendage and trailed off, staring.
Nobody moved for several seconds.
“Um, Princess Luna?” Twilight asked.
This shook Luna from her reverie. She jumped backwards, then quickly nudged Celestia with her wing. “TIA! Tia wake up!”
Celestia lay still for a moment, before stirring. “Alright, Luna, I’m up, I’m up.”
“No, Tia! This is important! Arise immediately!”
“Ugh. Fine.” Celestia stretched, sprawling out on the floor like a cat. Or a cat-bird thing. She rose completely to her hoo- er, feet, then glanced down at her subjects. “Now, what seems to be the trouble?”
Twilight looked up in awe at the gryphon before her. Solid white, standing at least as tall as Celestia had before, her beak and talons seemed to be the color of shimmering gold. The primaries of her wings were stained in the colors of her old mane, and billowed far behind her like a silken scarf.
Luna frowned very hard at Celestia’s reaction. “Sister! Why are you not reacting!”
Celestia tsked. “Now, Luna, I can’t very well react to the situation if I don’t know what it is, now can I? So, what seems to be the trouble?”
Pinkie Pie bounced in place. “We’re all gryphonies now!”
Celestia looked down at herself, then back to the rest of the gryphons in the room. “Yes, it appears we are.”
Silence.
“ART THOU MAD?!” Luna proclaimed. “Why has this provoked no reaction in you?! How did you not notice this as soon as you awoke?”
Celestia shrugged. “Well, like most things, I assumed I was hallucinating. Can never be too certain about these things, so I generally just kinda...” she waved a wing through the air. “Go with the flow, only act on things when somepony else has confirmed them.”
Twilight was floored. “And you get ponies to confirm reality for you every day?”
“Oh, heavens no.”
Twilight let out a breath.
“Sometimes I just guess. Can’t be looking too suspicious now, can I?”
The purple gryphon blinked, sat down, and said nothing.
Applejack cast her a sidelong glance, before questioning the gryphonized princess. “Er, yer highness, do you have any idea of what-“
“EEEEEEE!” A piercing cry came from the hallway. Every conscious head in the room turned towards the door.
Meekly, two amor-clad gryphons (admittedly, the armor no longer fit quite snugly) stepped back into the room. “Your highness,” one said, “several ponies are coming this way. We believe they have questions.”
Celestia groaned. “Yes, thank you, my little... er, gryphons. Do you know what they want?”
The other one chuckled. “Probably want t’know why two gryphons were guarding both princesses and three Elements alone in a room.”
Pinkie put an arm around Twilight’s neck, pulling the purple gryphon from her small stupor. “Oh, this is gonna be a fun week, Twilight. I can tell.”
“AAAAAAAH!”
“Really, nephew, do calm down. I’m not going to eat you.”
“AAAAAAAH!”
“Blueblood, it’s still me! We’re not sure what happened, but-“
“AAAAAAAH!”
“Blueblood I swear to me. Shut up this is giving me a migrane.”
“AAAAAAAH!”
“Ugh.”
Several hours after seven gryphons woke up in a throne room, Princess Celestia strolled back into that very same room.
Twilight and Applejack were close to the ceiling. “Ahh! We’re up really high!”
“That’s good!” One of the guards called out to them. “Just like that! Now try tilting your wings downwards, but barely.”
The two complied, and began to shoot forward, turning large circles around the grand room.
Pinkie, perched on the top ledge of a stained-glass window, chuckled. “Teehee! Silly ponies, don’t know how to fly.”
Twilight Sparkle arched a large circle around the room, before landing with a thump on the marble floor. “Princess!” One new gryphon looked at the other. “So what’s happening? How do we fix it?”
Celestia smiled down at her student with her new beak. “Well, Twilight, we’re not sure.”
Applejack was still in the air. “Yer not? You were in there fer hours.”
The princess sighed, nodding. “Yes, most of that was spent convincing the nobles that I was, in fact, me, and not some gryphon imposter trying to take over their country.”
Twilight nodded. “Okay... so what are we going to do?”
Celestia put a wing around her student, pulling her close to her side. “I am going to do some investigating, including a very stern talk with the gryphon ambassador. You are all going to go home.”
A nearly unanimous cry went out among the gathered. “What?!”
“Princess, we can’t go back t’our families like this!” Applejack cried. “We’d be lynched! Or at the very least, we’d be looked at funny!”
The princess shook her head. “Now, now. I’m certain that with a few well-placed words, you will be able to get along just fine. This is modern Equestria, I do not believe that Ponyville will treat you with disrespect.”
Pinkie pointed a claw accusingly at the princess. “Double-negative user!”
“You are right to have concerns, Pinkie. However, whatever solution we can devise, it shall not come about at least until the end of the week.” She smiled down at the gryphons. “And I have no intention of trying to keep you from your friends.”
“But-but-but-but-!” Twilight sputtered.
Celestia waved a talon. “No buts. Rest assured, I will inform you all when we learn more about this situation. For now, we need to be sure that everypony is relaxed.”
There was a pregnant pause.
“Oh, excuse me. Every... person. Yes. We need to be sure that everyperson is relaxed.”
“But, yer highness,” Applejack began, “Ah don’t mean no disrespect, but-“
“Now off! All of you!” Celestia shooed them away with her wings. “The two o’clock to Ponyville leaves in a few minutes, and I expect you all to be on it. And remember–think positive.”
Luna nodded. “We will see you all again soon.”
Three gryphons sat in the train car, further towards the back.
Pinkie Pie sat on the ground, batting at the tuft of her new tail like it was a cat toy.
Twilight Sparkle lay on one of the seats, breathing steadily as her head grew more and more heavy.
Applejack was seated vertically, across from Twilight. Not as tired as her friend, she fidgeted in her seat, wringing her hat in her claws, still unused to several of her new body parts. “Say, Twi, you still with us?”
The lavender gryphon’s head jolted upwards. “Hmm? Oh, yeah, sorry AJ. I’m just really tired...”
“Tired? Why, you’ve been awake as long as the rest’ve us.”
Twilight nodded, stifling back a yawn. “Yes, but I was also awake much longer this morning. I wanted to be sure I had everything I needed...” her head slowly began to droop again.
Applejack looked out the window. The sun was only now beginning to descend through the sky. “Ah couldn’t possibly sleep right now. Ah’m so worried! Ah can’t go home lookin like this!” She gestured at her new body, with her new hands.
“Applejack, I’m sure it will be fine,” Twilight countered. “Nopony will do anything major, and if anypony makes a scene, just ignore them.”
Applejack took her hat from her hands, and replaced it on her head. “Ah’m not worried about the ponies in town, Twilight. If they all do anythin stupid, we kin chalk it up to fear. Nothin major. Ah’m worried about mah family.”
“Why?” Twilight asked.
“Well, Granny’s not much of the forward-thinking sort, if you catch my meaning. She’s more than old enough t’remember when we were actually fighting gryphons. An you remember Gilda? When Granny found out about her, she scowled like nopony’s business. Wouldn’t talk about it all day! Now, Ah don’t know if that was just because of the mean pranks she pulled, or... Twilight?”
But Twilight Sparkle had already fallen asleep, curled up on her seat like a cat.
Applejack sighed. “Welp, it looks like it’s just you n’ me, Pinkie.”
“THIS IS SO MUCH FUN” Pinkie responded, continuing to bat at her tail.
Applejack chuckled, despite herself, at Pinkie’s antics. She then pulled her hat down over her eyes, and tried to follow Twilight to sleep.
An hour later, Pinkie was shaking her awake. “Applejack! We’re heeeere!”
“Huh? What?” Applejack pried her eyes open, only to see a grinning pink gryphon in front of her. “GAH-!”
She jumped out of her chair, only to forget about her new body and stumble to the ground. “Huh, what? Oh, right.” She blinked. “Pinkie! Why’d you go n do that?”
“Because the train stopped, Applejack,” Pinkie responded, sitting down on her haunches. “All of the passengers were asked to get off, but the conductor didn’t want to wake you up, so he asked me to do it!” She pointed a claw at the compartment door, where a conductor pony sat, trembling in his hooves. He shrunk a little when Pinkie pointed at him, but managed to give a half-hearted wave.
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Alright, Pinkie. Help me get Twilight up.”
Pinkie Pie and Applejack managed to rouse Twilight, and together, the three gryphons departed the train. The second they stepped out into Ponyville, they were the subject of several odd looks. Twilight was too tired to notice, and Pinkie didn’t seem to, but Applejack was acutely aware of the hushed whispers and quick glances that followed them.
Twilight’s Library came up first. The sleepy gryphon mumbled her thanks, then knocked on the door.
They was some scuffling, and Spike responded, swinging the door open. “Hello, welcome to Books n Branches LibraREE-!” He jupmed backwards upon seeing the three, his eyes widening in fear. “Oh, uh, sorry about that! Heh heh heh... How may I help you fine gryphonesses?”
Twilight yawned. “Hmm... Hiya Spike. I’m just gonna go t’bed. Seeya later...” she strolled in to the door, and made her way up the stairs.
Spike blanched. “What? Um, excuse me, Miss, You’re not supposed-“
“Spike.”
Spike’s head whirled around to face the orange gryphon. “Hmm? Oh, hi, sorry, have we met before? Could you tell your friend to-“
“Spike, it’s me, Applejack.” Applejack glared at the baby dragon. “There was a magical accident up in Canterlot, an now we’re all stuck like this.”
“Applejack?” Spike asked. He looked up and down at the gryphon. “You know, now that you mention it, you do look like her. Same colors, at least. But how can I be sure?”
“Last weekend, I found you n’ Apple Bloom up by th’ South Field, an you were-“
“OKAY! I believe you!” Spike yelled. “Wow. Okay, then, hi Applejack. So, that’s Pinkie?”
Pinkie waved a claw. “Hiya!”
“And that other gryphon was... Twilight?!”
Applejack nodded. “Yep. She was a mite tuckered out, on account of how early she woke up this mornin.”
Spike nodded. “She did wake up really early today. Huh. That’s... weird.”
Applejack snorted. “Tell me about it. Well, Ah have t’head on back down t’the farm, an I expect Pinkie has somewhere she needs t’be-“
Pinkie nodded. “Yupperooni! I have a really fun idea planned!”
“-so we’re gonna head off. You think you ‘kin keep an eye on Twilight?”
Spike nodded. “Yeah, sure... Wow. How long are you gonna be like this?”
Applejack sighed. “We dunno. The princesses are workin on it, so we’ll hear from them when they find something.”
Spike’s jaw dropped. “Wait, the princesses-“
“Yep.”
“So that means they-?!”
“Yep.”
Spike whistled. “Dang. Man, I can’t wait to see that.”
Applejack let out a harsh laugh. “Hopefully neither of us have to wait too long, sugarcube. Ah’ll se ya later.”
With that, Applejack departed. Pinkie left, hopping in the direction of Sugarcube Corner, much to the surprise of the townsfolk, seeing a gryphon hopping.
Applejack headed for the farm, an apprehensive expression across her feathery features.
† Gryphons have ears. Big pointy fuzzy ones. No, really.